House of the Hungarian Music, Budapest2014

House of Hungarian Music, Budapest 2014

The proposal for this new music museum located in Budapest´s cultural quarter was based on three main principles: concentration, connection with its context, and performance. In all of them sustainability played a key role.

In the first place, concentration was understood as compactness of its form, therefore minimising its exposed surface and the potential heat losses to the outdoors.

In second place, connection with its context led to conceiving the building as an object strongly influenced by its climate and surroundings. For this reason, the orientation was chosen in order to allow for natural daylighting and passive heating. In order to strengthen such connection, all materials were local with low embodied carbon and energy.

Next, the performance of the building was translated into an apparatus in which visitors, experience and architecture would generate and interactive system. For such purpose, the proposal would clearly show the environmental strategies adopted, such us water treatment and harvesting and self-shading facades. Also, the central atrium worked as a key environmental feature as the central movable platform changed the central volume and its exposure to natural daylight, as well as allowing for natural ventilation.

Finally, the energy scheme was based on the use of geothermal energy, resulting on a building with zero reliance on non-renewable energy sources.